A Game of Give and Take
by pasteandcopy
Summary: College, a crush, and silly drunken conversations. Bella and Edward learn all about each other.
1. Chapter 1

**twilight and all things associated with it aren't mine. this isn't beta'd, this is just for fun.**

"I don't think I've ever been so drunk," he laughed. "Have you ever been this wasted?"

"Mmm," she groaned, opening her eyes. "Where are we?"

"At my place, silly girl."

"Do you remember how we got here?"

He laughed. "Whoa. You must be super drunk. Jessica drove us home. I think you dozed a bit."

"Ugh, I hate her."

"Really? Why?" he asked, laughing again. Everything is apparently hilarious at the moment.

"She is so skanky. She's always all over every single guy around. And you know, it's like 'damn girl, calm down,'" she huffed. "Plus, she's never just nice. I hate that."

"Is she mean to you?"

"Yes, well—not always mean, exactly. But rude or catty. Vaguely hateful, insinuating and tacky," she explained.

"Oh. Well, I didn't know that she was like that to you," he mumbled. "Maybe I'll stay away from her more now."

"Don't. You don't need to stay away from her because of me. Hang out with whoever, whomever you please."

"Whoa, whoa. You must be plastered, you don't know whether to use whoever or whomever," he said, giggling. "But I really don't want to hang out with her if she's rude to you. I know how nice you try to be, even to people that definitely don't deserve it. Like Mike."

"What—"she paused, closing her eyes. "do you mean, 'like Mike?'"

"Mike Newton? Colossal doucheface?"

At this, she cackled loudly, which made him grin while it caused her stomach to roll. "Stop or I'll hurl. Why is he a doucheface?"

"Bella, he is disgusting. Every time I see him near you I want to punch him in that douchey face of his."

She giggled and rolled to face him. "He's nice. I mean, cheesy-but nice."

"No. He's a jerk-off."

"You should explain why. But tomorrow, because I'd never remember if you told me now."

"Okay, pretty girl."

She snorted. "Did you just call me 'pretty girl'?"

"Don't laugh, Bella. You're so pretty. Why don't you know that?"

"How much did you drink?"

"More than anyone should, but it's true. Pretty hair, pretty eyes, pretty legs, pretty lips." He grabbed a lock of her hair and curled it around his finger.

"You're being weird."

"Ugh, Bella. No. You're weird for being one of those girls." He sounded exasperated.

"One of what girls?" she demanded.

"Girls who refuse to admit they're pretty."

"I don't think I'm _ugly_. I'm okay. But you never seemed to think much of it before," she mused. As well as she could muse with all the alcohol in her, anyway.

He leaned up on his arm to look down at her. "I've always thought you were pretty."

They both felt something. Maybe the air sizzled with chemistry sparking between them. But probably not. He grinned like a silly boy and pecked her cheek, smooshing it.

"Let's go to sleep," he whispered.

"I'll try. I'll probably have to go familiarize myself with your toilet."

"So classy."

"Shove it, Cullen. It's your fault that I'm so wretched right now."

"Girl, you love tequila."

"I do, but it makes me so ill."

"Never again?" he asked as he felt himself start to slip into sleep.

"Meh, at least not until next week," she qualified.

**more to come in a few days. thanks for stopping by. stay classy.**


	2. Chapter 2

In the apartment she shared with her friends Alice and Jane, Bella sat at the dining room table doing homework on Wednesday, pondering how pretty she was. If Edward thought she was pretty enough to say something about it, maybe she was prettier than she thought. She never worried about her looks, but it made her feel a little bit better about herself to know that he thought she was pretty. Sure, he was drunk, but he mentioned her legs and lips. Of course guys get more interested in girls when they're drunk, but he seemed something like genuine. Or was her drunken memory causing her to believe what the 14 year old girl inside her brain desperately wanted to believe?

She had known Edward for two years and could honestly say that he was one of her best friends. They had met first semester sophomore year as transfer students. Each had come from a smaller university and wanted to get more involved and to meet new people at their new school. The "transfer club" met and sat together at a football game. Bella ended up sitting next to a beautiful boy with strange hair and bright eyes. She was captivated by his appearance and charmed by his politeness. They were friendly and the game was enjoyable. It would have been a normal meeting and nice enough, but at some point in the last quarter something happened. It might have been something inconsequential, but they saw something and they both laughed. He liked a band that she liked and nobody else enjoyed. Something just clicked. All of a sudden, she felt really comfortable with him.

After that day, they added each other on Facebook and started texting. They started hanging out in the student union and going to the library to study. They ended up being in a history class together. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. He was fun and smart, genuine and kind. He liked a lot of the same things she did and made her laugh a lot.

She also thought he was one of the most attractive guys she'd ever seen, and she felt dumb thinking that. He was so nice and fun, that objectifying him felt wrong. He didn't seem interested in her as more than anything but a friend. He flirted with her, but never like he wanted her. He talked about other girls he met and girls from home. She tried to stuff her crush on him back as far as she could. Instead, she focused on her crush on Emmett.

Bella had been friends with Alice since the 6th grade when she was the new girl. Alice was the friendliest kid at her new school. She was all wide eyes and smiles. They became fast friends and confidantes, and Bella loved Alice's family. Including her big brother Emmett. Emmett was popular and older. He played football and was on honor roll. He was also hot.

He teased her and irritated her, but he kind of flirted with her, too. She'd liked him since she was a geeky 7th grader and he was in the grade above, telling boys her age to be nice to her. She had liked him all through high school even though she had tried not to. He dated a lot. He partied a lot. He could be a real jerk. She never told anyone but her friend Angela about the crush, even though sometimes she was pretty sure that Alice knew.

When he graduated and decided to go to a big state school, she was relieved. By the end of her junior year she had already decided to go to a small school out of state. She could get over him and only see him on breaks. But then he visited a lot during her senior year. And the next year, Bella visited Alice and saw Emmett at their school. She partied with them and had fun with Alice. Emmett flirted with her a lot when he was drunk. She wasn't stupid or _that_ naïve, but she got excited when he did things like that. Her crush was stronger than ever and while she visited the siblings, she fell in love with their university. She had also very typically decided to change her major, and their school had an amazing program for her new choice. Everything seemed to be in alignment.

So she set out to transfer. Alice had already made plans to live off campus with her friend Jane, so Bella found cheap housing in a crappy sophomore dorm. She was excited about everything. She got to school and enjoyed her classes. She met Edward and made a friend that she couldn't let herself crush on. She spent time thinking about which boy was cuter and other embarrassing things.

Edward and Bella soon became party friends, and they would go out with Alice and a lot of times Emmett would be there with football friends or sorority skanks. Not that Bella even thought all girls in sororities were skanks. But sometimes they acted like it. Girls like Rosalie Hale, who was always all over Emmett. The type of girl who let multiple guys slink all over her at frat parties. Emmett loved Rosalie's showy beauty, which made Bella all the more upset.

The first time they all hung out, it became obvious to Edward that Bella liked Emmett, and he had to question why.

"You know, he comes off as a huge jerk," Edward said.

"He can be," she agreed.

"Why do you like him?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. He's always been pretty nice to me. He's cute."

"Tall, dark and handsome? Big and brawny? Is that your type?"

"Eh, I don't have a physical type. It helps that he's attractive, but I don't think he was really that attractive when I started to like him," she replied. "He was an 8th grader that was nice to me and mean to boys that picked on me. He helps me when I need it and, ugh I don't know. Crushes don't have to be smart or logical. I'm a girl."

"I think he's bad news." Edward had sighed.

Since then, a lot had changed. Things had gotten weird with Emmett. Two years and she no longer felt as comfortable with him. She had made mistakes, and some pretty embarrassing ones. Edward had definitely seen her at some of unfinest moments. But even though the tough times he was sweet. He bought her ice cream and alcohol, watched television and movies he didn't like and helped her study for countless tests. They hung out almost every day and sometimes she felt closer to him than Alice. He was almost perfect and her heart squeezed a bit at him from time to time. She kept trying to deny how she felt.

And now he had completely disarmed her by telling her she was pretty. Why would he do that? Now it was all she could think about. Stupid alcohol, stupid, stupid tequila. Stupid brain and heart that picked up on his drunken mutterings and made them feel important. He hadn't acted any differently since that night, so he probably didn't even remember saying it.

Plus, even if he thought she was pretty, it didn't mean anything. She thought he was gorgeous and never did anything. It was obviously nothing. She would just pretend it never happened. Hopefully. Unless she forgot her resolve the next time she was drunk.


End file.
